Additive dispenser for automatic washing machines



May 3, 1966 ADDITIVE DISPENSER FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1964 J. BOCHAN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 61 H 75 74 8 \O L ll 1 z 33 35 F, 3a 12 l 54- 67 37 3 I |4. $7 8! 13 45 8o o o o o o o r 4.9 3 o 0 o o o o o o 7 9 0 O o o o 3| 0 o o o 4 lbw 7 [e -4 I O o 0 0 7a l8 \1 44- L l 22. 4o Z4- Z8 39 INVENTOR. J'OHN BOCHAN W H\ ATT RNEY May 1966 J. BOCHAN ,9

ADDITIVE DISPENSER FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES Filed June 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-3.3

INVENTOR.

TO H N BOC. HAN

H \s ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,248,910 ADDITIVE DISPENSER FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES John Bochan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed June 25, 1964, Ser. No. 378,018 7 Claims. (Cl. 68-12) My invention relates to automatic clothes washing machines, and, more particularly, to an improved additive dispenser for use in such machines.

It is highly desirable in automatic washing machines to provide a sequence of operation including an initial soak step, in which a preliminary removal of dirt from the fabrics is effected, a main washing step, in which removal of dirt from the fabrics is completed, and one or more rinse steps for removal of the detergent used in the wash step. The soak step may be provided with or without the use of an additive or fabric treating agent such as a detergent, although the use of one enhances the washing operation, and, in fact, is normally provided, however, it is imperative that during the washing step such a fabric treating agent be added to the water to form an effective cleaning liquid. Additionally, it is often desirable to introduce other additives such as a water softening agent, a bleaching agent or a fabric softening agent at various stages in the sequence of operation. Many prior art washing machines do not incorporate any means for introducing an additive subsequent to the start of the sequence of operation and many of the additive dispensers provided in other prior art machines are designed to introduce a solid additive while others are designed to introduce a liquid additive but they will not successfully insert both.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved structure wherein the introduction of an additive or a fabric treating liquid may be effected automatically at a predetermined stage in the sequence of operation of a washing machine.

More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved structure for inserting either a solid or a liquid additive at a predetermined stage in the sequence of operation of a washing machine.

Another, more specific, object of my invention is to provide a recirculation-type washing machine wherein a treating agent is inserted into the cleaning liquid at a predetermined time.

In one form of my invention, I provide a washing machine having a container for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a flexing means for flexing clothes in the container and suitable means for introducing liquid thereto. To effect removal of the liquid at appropriate times, I provide a suitable drain pump arrangement. To filter the liquid during operation of the machine, I pro-, vide a recirculation pump system connected to a recirculation conduit means so that liquid may be passed from the container, through the recirculation conduit means, and back into the container through a filter.

In order to control and effect automatic operation, sequence control means are provided to cause, in sequence, proper operation of the liquid-introducing means, then the flexing means and the recirculation pump system, then the container, the flexing means and the drain pump arrangement. Thus, liquid is first introduced into the container, then the fabrics are flexed while the liquid is recirculated and then the container and flexing means are rotated and drain pump system is operated to remove the liquid from the fabrics. The sequence control means causes these steps to be repeated a suitable number of times during the cycle of operation so as to provide, in order, a soak step, a centrifugal extraction step, a wash step, a centrifugal extraction step, a rinse step, and a final centrifugal extraction step.

In order to introduce an additive at the proper time, I provide, downstream of the recirculation pump, a receptacle for an additive or treating agent to be introduced into the clothes container. As an important feature of my invention, I provide means for moving the receptacle into the path of at least a portion of the recirculated liquid so that the liquid carries the additive into the container where it performs its designed function.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes washing machine including my invention, the view being partly broken away and partly in section to illustrate details;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of a portion of the structure included in FIGURE 1, showing the additive receptacle in a first position, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the additive receptacle in a second position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown an agitator-type clothes washing machine 1 having a conventional basket or clothes-receiving receptacle 2, provided over its side and bottom walls with perforation 3 and disposed in an outer imperforate receptacle or tub 4. Tub 4 serves as a liquid receptacle, the basket and tub together serving, in effect, as a container means for the clothes and liquid in which they are to be washed and rinsed. Basket 2 may be provided with a suitable clothes-retaining member 5 which aids in preventing clothes from being floated over the top of the basket and with a balance ring 6 to help steady the basket when it is rotated at high speed.

The tub 4 is rigidly mounted within an appearance cabinet 7, which includes a cover 8 hingedly mounted in a re movable top portion 9 of the cabinet. When cover 8 is lifted, it provides access through an opening 10 to basket 2. The rigid mounting of tub 4 within cabinet 7 may be effected by any suitable means. As a particular example of one such means, I provide strap members 11, each of which is secured at one end to an inturned flange 12 of the cabinet and at its other end to the outside of the tub 4.

At the center of basket 2, there is positioned a vertical axis agitator 13 which includes a center post 14 and a plurality of curved, water circulating vanes 15 joined at their lower ends by an outwardly flared skirt 16. Both the clothes basket 2 and the agitator 13 are rotatably mounted. The basket is mounted on a flange 17 of a rotatable hub 18 and the agitator 13 is mounted on a shaft (not shown) which extends upwardly through hub 18 and through center post 14 and is secured to the agitator so as to drive it.

During a typical cycle of operation of machine 1 water is introduced into tub 4 and basket 2, and agitator 13 is then oscillated back and forth on its axis, that is, in a horizontal plane Within the basket. This causes washing of the clothes by effecting relative motion of the clothes and the liquid, as well as suitable flexing of the fabric of the clothes. Then, after a predetermined period of this washing action, basket 2 is rotated at high speed to centrifugally extract the washing liquid from the clothes and discharge it to drain. Following this extraction operation ice clean water is introduced into the basket for rinsing the clothes and the agitator is again oscillated. Finally, the basket is once more rotated to extract the rinse water.

Basket 2 and agitator 13 may be driven through any suitable means. By way of example, I have shown them as driven from a reversible motor 19 through a drive including a clutch 20 mounted on the motor shaft. The clutch allows the motor to start without load and then accept the load as it comes up to speed.

Transmission 22 is so arranged that it supports and drives both the agitator shaft and basket mounting hub 18. When motor 19 is rotated in one direction the transmission causes agitator 13 to oscillate in a substantially horizontal plane with basket 2. Conversely, when motor 19 is driven in the opposite direction the transmission rotates basket 2 and agitator together at high speed for centrifugal extraction. While the specific type of transmission mechanism used is not part of my invention, reference is made to Patent 2,844,225 issued to James R. Hubbard et al. on July 22, 1958, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. That patent discloses in detail the structural characteristics of a transmission suitable for use in the illustrated machine.

In addition to operating transmission 22, as described, motor 19 also provides a direct drive through a flexible coupling 24 to a pump structure generally indicated at 25, which may include two separate pump units 26 and 27 both operated simultaneously in the same direction by motor 19. Pump unit 26 has an inlet which is connected by a conduit 28 to an opening 29 formed at the lowermost point of tub 4. Pump unit 26 also has an outlet which is connected by a conduit 30 to a suitable drain (not shown).

Pump unit 27 has an inlet connected by conduit 31 to the interior of tub 4 and an outlet connected by a conduit 32 to an opening 33 formed near the top of the tub 4 and communicating with a nozzle 34. Nozzle 34 is positioned to discharge into a filter pan 35 mounted on the top por tion 36 of agitator 13 so as to be movable therewith. With this structure, when the motor is rotating so as to provide agitation, pump unit 27 draws liquid through conduit 31 from tub 4 and discharges it through conduit 32 so that the liquid passes from nozzle 34 into filter pan 35, and then down through a number of small openings 37 provided in the bottom of the filter pan and back into basket 2. In this manner the filter pan 35 with its small openings 37 and its upstanding side wall 38 cases lint which is separated from the clothes during the washing operation to be filtered out of the clothes and thus prevents it from being redeposited on the clothes. This type of structure is more fully described and claimed in Patent 2,481,979 issued to Russell H. Colley on September 13, 1949, and assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

The motor 19, clutch 20, transmission 22, basket 2 and agitator 13 form a suspended washing and centrifuging system which is supported by the stationary structure of the machine so as to permit isolation of the vibrations from the stationary structure. It will be understood that such vibrations occur primarily as a result of high speed spinning of basket 2 with a load of clothes therein, as mentioned above. Any suitable suspension structure may be used which serves to permit movement of the basket within the tub but substantially restricts the basket from vertical motion. One suitable structure includes a bracket member 39 with transmission 22 mounted thereon and motor 19 mounted to the underside thereof. The bracket member in turn is secured to upwardly extending rigid members 40 and each of the two upwardly extending members 40 is connected to a cable 41 supported at the top of the machine by a pulley system (not shown). Thus, the suspension system permits horizontal motion and rocking motion but substantially precludes vertical motion. While only a portion of the suspension system is shown in FIGURE 1, such a vibration isolation system 4 is fully described and claimed in Patent 2,987,189 issued on June 6, 1961, to John M. Evjen and asigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

In order to accommodate the movement which occurs between the basket 2 and tub 4 without any danger of leakage between them, the stationary tub 4 is joined to the upper part of transmission 22 by a flexible boot member 42. Boot 42 may be of any suitable configuration, many of which are known in the art, to permit relative motion of the parts to which it joined without leakage therebetween.

The level to which water rises in basket 2 and tub 4 may be controlled by any suitable liquid level sensing means. One typical arrangement for doing this is to provide an opening 43 in the side of tub 4 adjacent the bottom thereof. Opening 43 is connected through a conduit 44 and tube 45 to a conventional pressure-sensitive switch (not shown) which may be positioned in the backsplasher 46 of machine 1. In the conventional manner, as the water rises in basket 2 and tub 4 it exerts increasing pressure on the column of air trapped in tube 45. At a predetermined pressure level the column of air then operates the pressure sensitive switch to shut off the water inlet valve generally shown at 47.

Valve 47 is adapted to supply hot and cold water to the machine, the valve being connected respectively to hot and cold water sources (not shown) through conduits 48 and 49. The valve 47 may have solenoids 50 and 51 so that energization of solenoid 50 permits passage of hot water through the valve, energization of solenoid 51 permits passage of cold water through the valve, and energization of both solenoids permits mixing of hot and cold water in the valve and passage of warm water therefrom through an outlet conduit 52 extending from the va ve.

The backsplasher 46 may have suitable annual controls, one of which is shown at 53. These controls are used to set a sequence control means shown generally at 54 to control, for instance, washing and spin speeds, water temperature, water level within tub 4 and basket 2, etc., for the washing of different types of fabrics.

Secured to the top of tub 4 is a unitary annular cover member 55 having an upwardly extending wall portion 56 terminating in an outwardly extending flange 57, the wall 56 and flange 57 being formed so as to cooperate with a gasket 58 to form a seal against the upper edge 59 of tub 4. An elongated, generally U-shaped member 60 is attached to the underside of cover member 55 to form nozzle 34.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3 there is shown an additive dispenser including a housing generally indicated by the numeral 61. The housing is formed from a base member 62 and top member 63, which are connected in liquid-tight relationship in some suitable manner as by rivets 64, the rivets also serving to attach the housing to cover member 55.

The base member is formed with an opening 65 which is in communication with an opening 66 in cover member 55. The openings 65 and 66 are so positioned that fluid flowing from the housing 61 will fall through opening 67 in the guard 5 and back into basket 2. Adjacent the opening 65 the base member 62 is formed with an upwardly extending wall 69 (preferably circular in shape). The top of the wall is closed by a flexible member 70 which is received in an airtight relationship in a recess 70a formed adjacent the top of wall 69. Thus the base member 62, wall 69 and flexible member 70 form an enclosed air expansion chamber 71. The flexible member 70 slopes downwardly within expansion chamber 71 to form an additive storage receptacle 72. The top member 63 is formed with an opening 73 in communication with receptacle 72 so that an additive may be introduced into the receptacle. For this purpose top portion 9 of cabinet 7 is provided with an opening 74 in communication with opening 73 and opening 74 is closed by a hinged plate 75 (as seen in FIGURE 1).

Referring now to FIGURE 1, conduit 32 is provided with a rigid portion 76 having a pair of upwardly extending bleed tubes 77 and 78. An air-compression conduit 79 connects bleed tube 77 to an electro-magnetically operated valve 80 and a conduit 81 connects valve 80 to air expansion chamber 71, the conduit 31 being con nected to an inlet port 82 formed in base member 62 in communication with expansion chamber 71. Thus, when pump 25 is rotating in the direction to cause pumping unit 27 to recirculate liquid through conduit 32, a portion of the liquid will rise within conduit 79 and compress the air trapped therein. When valve 80 is opened this compressed air will flow into expansion chamber 71 through conduit 81 and inlet port 82 and flex the flexible member 70 upwardly from the position shown in FIG- URE 2 to the position shown in FIGURE 3, thereby temporarily obliterating the receptacle 72 and transferring the additive to the basket 2 through opening 65. By maintaining valve 80 in its open position until a stage in the sequence of operation in which the liquid is drained from basket 2 and tub 4, the flexible member 70 will be pulled downwardly into the position shown in FIG- URE 2 to again form additive receptacle 72. For this purpose valve 80 is electrically connected to sequence control means 54 so that it is opened and closed at predetermined stages in the sequence of operation of the machine.

In order to insure that all the additive is transferred to receptacle 2, a conduit 83 is connected between bleed tube 78 and an inlet structure 84 formed adjacent the top of housing 61 so that a portion of the recirculated liquid is projected through the housing, above the additive receptacle 72. The housing includes a curved wall 85 which is spaced from inlet structure 84 and is in communication with opening 65 The liquid emitted from inlet structure 84 flows across the space 85a between the inlet structure and curved wall 85 and then is guided through the housing and out opening 65 by curbed wall 85. The flexible member 70 is formed with a tab 86 which extends upwardly in the center of receptacle 72 so that when the flexible member is flexed upwardly, the tab is interposed in the space 85a between the inlet structure 84 and curved wall 85. The tab diverts part of the fluid emitted from the inlet structure and causes it to flow over flex ible member 70 and out opening 65, thus insuring that all the additive is transferred to the receptacle 2 and further insuring that the additive dispenser is thoroughly rinsed out and cleaned of all additive.

It will be understood that a number of modifications are possible without departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention. For instance, a number of dispensers may be employed in a single machine so that more than one additive may be introduced into the clothes container at different stages in the sequence of operation. Also, if desired, the dispenser can be constructed with opening 65 in communication with nozzle 34 so that the additive is inserted in the main stream of recirculated liquid.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what, at present, is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a clothes washing machine having a container to receive clothes to be cleaned and liquid for cleaning the clothes, recirculation means for removing liquid from the container and returning it to the container, and sequence control means for controlling the operation of the machine, an additive dispenser including;

(a) a receptacle formed from a flexible material to receive an additive for introduction into the container,

(b) air-pressure operated means for moving said re ceptacle into the path of at lea-st a portion of the recirculated liquid for insuring transfer of the additive into the container, and

(c) valve means responsive to said sequence control means for controlling said air-pressure operated means to cause transfer of the additive into the container at a predetermined stage in the operation of the machine.

2. In -a clothes washing machine including a container to receive clothes to be cleaned and liquid for cleaning the clothes, recirculation means for removing liquid from the container and returning it to the container and sequence control means for controlling the operation of the machine, an additive dispenser including:

(a) housing mounted outside the container, said housing defined an opening in communication with the top of the container,

(b) a wall projecting upwardly within said housing and a flexible member attached to said wall in an airtight relationship therewith to form an air expansion chamber, said flexible member forming a. receptacle for additive to be introduced into the container,

(c) at least a portion of the recirculated liquid being directed through said housing in spaced relationship with said receptacle and then into the container through said opening,

((1) means for introducing air into said air expansion chamber to flex said flexible member upwardly and thereby remove the additive from said receptacle, said recirculated liquid transferring the additive to the container through said opening.

3. An additive dispenser as set forth in claim 2 wherein the path of the recirculated liquid through said housing is above said receptacle and said flexible member includes a tab extending upwardly within said receptacle, the flexing of said flexible member moving said tab into the path of the recirculated liquid to cause recirculated liquid to flow over said flexible member thereby insuring that all the additive is transfered to the container.

4. An additive dispenser as set forth in claim 2 further including a valve means responsive to said sequence control means for controlling said air introducing means to cause transfer of the additive to the container at a predetermined stage in the operation of the machine.

5. In a clothes washing machine including a container to receive clothes to be cleaned and liquid for cleaning the clothes, recirculation means for removing liquid from the container and returning it to the container and sequence control means for controlling the operation of the machine, an additive dispenser including:

(a) a housing mounted outside the container, said housing defining an opening in communication with the top of the container,

(b) a closed wall projecting upwardly within said housing and a flexible member attached to said wall in an air-tight relationship therewith to form an air expansion chamber, said flexible member forming a receptacle for additive to be introduced into the corn tainer, said flexible member including a tab extending upwardly within said receptacle,

(c) a liquid inlet structure for directing at least a portion of the recirculated liquid through said housing above said receptacle,

(d) means for introducing air into said air expansion chamber to flex said flexible member upwardly and thereby empty additive from said receptacle, the flexing of said flexible member moving said tab into the path of the recirculated liquid flowing through said housing to cause at least a part of the recirculated liquid to flow over said flexible member, thereby in suring that substantially all the additive is transferred to the basket.

6. An additive dispenser as set forth in claim further including a valve means responsive to said sequence control means for controlling said air introducing means to cause transfer of the additive to the container at a predetermined stage in the operation of the machine.

7. A clothes Washing machine including:

(a) a container to receive clothes to be cleaned and liquid for cleaning the clothes,

(b) means including a pump for removing liquid from said container and returning it to said container,

(c) a nozzle positioned above the basket and a first recirculation conduit connecting the outlet of said pump to said nozzle to return recirculated liquid to said basket,

((1) a housing spaced from said nozzle, said housing defining an opening in communication with said cont-ainer,

(e) a wall projecting upwardly within said housing and a flexible member attached to said Wall in an airtight relationship therewith to form an air expansion chamber, said flexible member form-ing a receptacle for additive to be introduced into the basket, said flexible member including a tab extending upwardly within said receptacle,

(f) a liquid inlet structure formed in the top of said housing and a second recirculation conduit connecting said inlet structure to said pump for introducing at least a portion of the recirculated liquid into said housing, said housing including a curved wall spaced WILLIAM I. PRICE,

8 from said inlet structure for guiding the recirculated liquid through said housing above said receptacle and then through said opening,

(g) means, including an air compression conduit, connecting said outlet of said pump to said air expansion chamber, recirculation of liquid by said pump compressing the air in said air compression conduit,

(h) a sequence control means for controling the operation of said machine, and

(i) valve means responsive to said sequence control means for selectively opening said air compression conduit so that the air in said :air compression conduit flows into said air expansion chamber to flex said flexible member upwardly and thereby empty additive from said receptacle, the flexing of said flexible member moving said tab into the path of the recirculated liquid between said inlet structure and said curved wall to cause the recirculated liquid to flow over said flexible member, thereby insuring that substantially all the additive is transferred to the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,062,030 11/1962 Groves 6817 X 3,085,418 4/1963 Douglas 6817 3,166,096 1/1965 Lang 222386.5 X 3,174,658 3/1965 Wittenberg ZZZ-386.5

Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A CONTAINER TO RECEIVE CLOTHES TO BE CLEANED AND LIQUID FOR CLEANING THE CLOTHES, RECIRCULATION MEANS FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM THE CONTAINER AND RETURNING IT TO THE CONTAINER, AND SEQUENCE CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE MACHINE, AN ADDITIVE DISPENSER INCLUDING; (A) A RECEPTACLE FORMED FROM A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIVE FOR INTRODUCTION INTO THE CONTAINER, (B) AIR-PRESSURE OPERATED MEANS FOR MOVING SAID RECEPTACLE INTO THE PATH OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE RECIRCULATED LIQUID FOR INSURING TRANSFER OF THE ADDITIVE INTO THE CONTAINER, AND (C) VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SEQUENCE CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID AIR-PRESSURE OPERATED MEANS TO CAUSE TRANSFER OF THE ADDITIVE INTO THE CONTAINER AT A PREDETERMINED STAGE IN THE OPERATION OF THE MACHINE. 